A Royal Weekend

All five of us girls have been in a youth program called 4-H.  This is a program for kids in rural areas, and are interested in things from livestock to crafts.  Being from a pig farm, we blondes were involved in swine 4-H!  Our parents are the leaders of the club, and we’ve all been in it at one time or another.  We learn about different areas of pig farming, as well as go to fairs and “show our pigs”.  I know, I know.  You’re looking at the computer screen going “What? How would you “show” your pig?”.  Don’t worry, we’ve all gotten it before.

In about March a baby pig is born, and believe me.  It’s SUPER cute!  My favourites are the spotted ones and the brown ones.  In November-just this past weekend actually, we take these pigs to the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto.  There are people from all different counties around us, and there are different 4-H clubs in these counties.  When showing a pig there is a judge, and about 10 other people in a big pen with you.  This big rectangle shaped pen has little pens surrounding three out of the four sides of it.  These little pens have gates going into the big pen, and are usually only big enough to fit you and your pig, with just enough room for the pig to turn around.  At the Royal, there are three different age groups- senior, junior and novice.  Senior is ages 16-21, junior is ages 12-16, and novice is ages 10-11, and also, this group is for people who have never shown at the Royal.  To actually “show” the pig, you and the people in your class have canes, which you hold with the curved part down.  This helps direct your pig, and keep it under control.  Your job while in the ring is to give the judge a good view of the pig you are presenting, to always keep the pig between you and the judge, and to always be looking at the judge, and know where he/she is.  Also, to always SMILE!

This past weekend I showed my pig at the Royal in Toronto.  All the other five blondes are too old now, so the only ones from our 4H club there were me and two others.  I actually met my pig the day before the show, but sometimes people meet their pigs and work with their pigs for a couple of weeks before the show, just so their pig gets used to walking with them, and being in an open space with other people and pigs.  I was incredibly lucky though, since I had a GREAT pig!  She was very affectionate towards me, and was great at walking and being directed.  I was in the senior group, and placed second!

There is also a “conformation class”, where the judge is only judging your pig, and not your showmanship.  My pig did not do very well in this class.  There is then an auction for the pigs, and the top 30 pigs in the show get auctioned off, and the price is per pound that the pig weights-mine weighed 262lbs.  My pig was 23rd in the auction, which means I was the 23rd person to auction my pig off.

All in all it was a VERY successful day, and since my mom didn’t even think I would make the auction, I’d say luck was on my side!  Here are some pictures from the day taken by our mom:

CN Tower after leaving the Royal on Thursday night!

Me and my pig Pancake

Group photo

In the pen with Pancake

Showing

Ribbons

Pancake resting after her big show

Sleeping while trying to study